Read the World

One of the greatest things about reading is being able to tour far away lands while sheltering in place. While traveling to a dream destination is not an option this year, our minds can still wander far, far away, enjoying grand escapades in other countries and soaking in the unique cultures around the world through books. Immerse your kids in this list of globetrotting adventures, specially selected by Book Passage, providing a summer of wanderlust in the time of coronavirus. Happy Reading and Bon Voyage!

PICTURE BOOKS

Hawai‘i: Ho‘onani: Hula Warrior

An empowering celebration of identity, acceptance and Hawaiian culture based on the true story of a young girl in Hawaiʻi who dreams of leading the boys-only hula troupe at her school.

India: A Gift for Amma: Market Day in India

Book release in August.

China: The Chinese Emperor's New Clothes

"The somewhat whimsical illustrations of the distinctive individuals, palace, interiors, and clothes are made in watercolor, pen and ink and highlight Roberts’ feel for fashion, design and color." — Booklist

Italy: Paolo, Emperor of Rome

"Both Keane's art and Barnett's plucky hero give the big city of Rome an exciting and inviting feel, making it a delightful adventure for readers and travelers of all ages." — Shelf Awareness

Mexico: ¡Vamos! Let’s Go Eat

Little Lobo is excited to take in a show with wrestling star El Toro in his bustling border town. After getting lunch orders from The Bull and his friends to help prepare for the event, Little Lobo takes readers on a tour of food trucks that sell his favorite foods, like quesadillas with red peppers and Mexican-Korean tacos. 

CHAPTER BOOKS (AGES 8-10)

Oman: The Turtle of Oman

Follow Aref Al-Amri as he says goodbye to everything and everyone he loves in his hometown of Muscat, Oman, as his family prepares to move to Ann Arbor, Michigan.

England: Planet Omar: Accidental Trouble Magnet

Things start looking up when Omar makes a new best friend. That is, until a bully named Daniel makes every day a nightmare even telling Omar that Muslims are going to be kicked out of the country . . . Could that possibly be true?

Kenya: When Stars Are Scattered

An intimate, important, unforgettable look at the day-to-day life of a refugee, as told to New York Times Bestselling author/artist Victoria Jamieson by Omar Mohamed, the Somali man who lived the story.

Australia: Bob

It’s been five years since Livy and her family have visited Livy’s grandmother in Australia. Now that she’s back, Livy has the feeling she’s forgotten something really, really important about Gran’s house.

CHAPTER BOOKS (AGE 10-13)

Cuba: My Brigadista Year

In an engrossing historical novel follows a young Cuban teenager as she volunteers for Fidel Castro’s national literacy campaign and travels into the impoverished countryside to teach others how to read.

Afghanistan: One Half From the East

A coming-of-age journey set in modern-day Afghanistan that explores life as a bacha posh—a preteen girl dressed as a boy.

Scotland: City of Ghosts

When Cass's parents start hosting a TV show about the world's most haunted places, the family heads off to Edinburgh, Scotland. Here, graveyards, castles, and secret passageways teem with restless phantoms. And when Cass meets a girl who shares her "gift," she realizes how much she still has to learn about the Veil -- and herself.

Pakistan: Amal Unbound

Twelve-year-old Amal's dream of becoming a teacher one day is dashed in an instant when she accidentally insults a member of her Pakistani village's ruling family. As punishment for her behavior, she is forced to leave her heartbroken family behind and go work at their estate.

NON-FICTION

China/Nepal: Everest: The Remarkable Story of Edmund Hillary and Tenzung

In the late morning of May 29, 1953, the sun was shining brightly and a gentle breeze was blowing on the highest elevation of the world--and two men were there to witness it for the first time ever. Their names were Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, and they had ascended Everest. This is the breathtaking story of how two very different, yet equally determined, men battled frost-biting temperatures, tumbling ice rocks, powerful winds, and death-defying ridges to reach the top of the world's highest mountain.

Global: This is My World

If you were asked to tell someone on the other side of the world about yourself, where would you start?

Malawi, Africa: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

When a terrible drought struck William Kamkwamba's tiny village in Malawi, his family lost all of the season's crops, leaving them with nothing to eat and nothing to sell. William began to explore science books in his village library, looking for a solution. There, he came up with the idea that would change his family's life forever: he could build a windmill. Made out of scrap metal and old bicycle parts, William's windmill brought electricity to his home and helped his family pump the water they needed to farm the land.

Global: Every Tree Has A Story

This visually stunning book is an exploration of unique trees—from the tallest Sequoia in California, to a very special forest in India, to a lone Acacia in the Sahara desert—offering a window into different culture around the world.